Pakistan receives 106,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

KARACHI: The first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 mRNA vaccine comprising 106,000 doses through COVAX reached Islamabad on Friday, officials said.

“Yes, the first shipment of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine through COVAX has just landed in Islamabad. The shipment comprises 106,000 doses,” Dr. Akram Shah, National Program Manager of Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), told The News on Friday. The Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine doses were supposed to reach Pakistan in the first week of June, National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS,R&C) officials said but added that the shipment arrived earlier than their expectations. Ironically, the Pakistani drug regulatory authorities have not yet authorized the mRNA vaccine for use in Pakistan, officials at the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) said but added that Pfizer has applied for the Emergency Use Authorization of its mRNA-technology based vaccine in the country. “A committee of experts is currently reviewing its safety and efficacy data and would present its recommendations to the DRAP for authorization in the country," an official of DRAP said.

The official maintained that the registration board of regulatory authority would review the recommendations of the expert committee in the first week of June.